War Veterans Card For 50.000 French Soldiers Who Served In Algeria After Independence

Ministry of the French Armies showed that 50.000 soldiers, who are still alive, ill be honored by the French authorities by giving them war veterans card for the tasks they performed in Algeria after independence as an area of foreign military operations (after the implementation of the Evian agreements), which will cost about 6.6 million euros, in addition to 10 million euros for the benefit of the harkis, their wives and children.

In a related context, a parliamentary report of the French National Assembly, dated October 24, notes that the decision to grant the card to French soldiers ho were serving in Algeria after independence, specifically from July 2, 1962 to July 1, 1964, and it was officially decided by the French Finance Act of 2016.

According to the report, former statistics of war veterans’ associations indicated that there were some 35,000 French troops in Algeria after independence, but the statistical work that was done by the Ministry of the Armed Forces led to the detection of 50,000 French soldiers who would still be alive and concerned with the decision, and who served on the Algerian soil after the Evian agreements.

French government allocated about 6.6 million euros for the grants of the increase, which is more than DZD 92 billion.

The extension of the war veterans’ card to these French soldiers means that they will be classified as beneficiaries of foreign military operations known as OPEX, meaning that Algeria was classified from January,1, 1962 as a war zone until July,1, 1964.

In addition to the war veterans’ file, the French government has allocated 10 million euros for the harkis of Algeria revolution, which is more than DZD 14 billion.

In the Financial Act 2019, Paris decided to launch several steps towards Harkis and their families, by re-evaluating the 400-euro recognition grant and launching a solidarity mechanism with the Harkis in France, who are currently facing difficulties and obstacles that are related to the history of their parents in Algeria.